The Country Boy, a play written by John Murphy, portrays emigration and rural Ireland of the fifties.  Although the nature of emigration has changed since the play was first produced in the late 1950’s, the essentials of the existential condition which it explains have if anything become more rather than less pronounced in the meantime.  The play also uses a certain time, setting and subject to tell a timeless and universal truth.  What is the truth?  The idea that we call ‘emigration’ is something else.  The idea of the pursuit of happiness through movement, travel, the far-away hill, or the pull of the bright lights.  The idea of the ‘Dream’, whether of America or anywhere else, is a will-o-the-wisp which draws our gaze first away, and then forever backwards.  The idea of the relationship between time and place and the reality, which we seem incapable of absorbing, that without this relationship we are left with a placeless unease.  The idea that we believe ourselves capable of happiness only in a place in which we happen not to be.  And the trick life plays on us in making us imagine that we can live out our dreams perpetually without ever having to live with them.  The Country Boy manages to express, enact and dramatise all these ideas.  It achieves this largely through the characters of Eddie and Curley the two brothers approaching their dreams from opposite directions.

Come and witness this, for yourself, at the Abymill Theatre, Fethard, between Friday 19th and Wednesday 24th October, nightly at 8.15pm, when the Fethard Players 2007 production “The Country Boy” will be staged.  Book now at O’Flynn’s Menswear, Burke Street, Fethard, on Mondays to Fridays (closed Thursday) from 10.30am to 12.30pm and from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.  Telephone: (052) 31254 or 087 1338961.

‘Bastide Rally’ in France

One of the four Gateways into the town of Vianne.

Thirteen people from Fethard spent four days in South West France recently visiting small walled towns and villages of a type known as ‘Bastides’.  The idea was the brainchild of Tim Robinson, now resident in Watergate Street, and a committee member of the Fethard Historical Society.  Tim is tending towards the opinion that Fethard may in fact be an Irish Bastide as it was founded at the same time – around 1200AD - when the Norman kings of England ‘ruled’ this part of Ireland and also ruled all of western France, all the way down to the Pyrenees Mountains. 

Bastides were fortified new towns, built to a plan, in the then wild-forested countryside as a way of colonising and controlling that area and also so as to increase trade and generate extra taxes and revenue for the king.  Exactly the same thing was happening in Fethard at this time as ‘our’ Norman overlords were consolidating their position in the Tipperary area.
 
Pictured above are from left to right The Mayor of Tournon, Doirin Saurus chairperson of Fethard Historical Society, and Patricia, local town council member.

So Tim, who has family connections in the area, organised a ‘working trip’ for committee members of the Historical Society to go to this ‘Pays de Bastides’, a large area north of Toulouse to see for themselves what he was talking about.  There was also the intention to check out the possibility of Fethard twinning with one of these towns, if, in fact, there is a common history between the founding of these Bastides and the founding of Fethard over 800 years ago. 

It appears that over 700 towns (not all are Bastides), were founded in this part of France in the 13th and 14th centuries and during the recent trip it seemed that the Fethard party were going to drive through them all!  Over ten Bastides were visited in some detail and many more got a flying visit.  Two small towns in particular seemed to offer the possibility of making good twinning partners. These were, Tournon, where the Mayor greeted the Irish visitors, and Vianne, which has a lovely ‘round the wall walk’, which is one of the long term aims of the Historical Society for Fethard.
 
Fethard Historical Society Group in the French Town of Montpazier, picture above from laft to right back are John Cooney, Catherine O Flynn, John O Flynn, Tim Robinson, Margaret Newport, Doirin Saurus, Terry Cunningham, front row left to right Mary McCormack, Mary Hanrahan, Diane Stokes, Ann Marie Gleeson and Ann Gleeson

However the idea of ‘twinning’ is only being investigated at present and much more research and discussions with all the stakeholders, especially Fethard and Killusty Community Council and the Local Authority, would have to take place before any ‘formal’ decision could be made.  Also the French would have to make a few trips to Fethard, and visa versa, to make sure that it all was a practical and worthwhile idea.
 

Hopefully one of the ten Bastides visited would be willing to consider Fethard as a suitable Twin.  If not, there are hundreds of other towns that could be checked out! Ryanair could do well out of this yet.

Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto Results
The numbers drawn on Wednesday 3rd October were: 3, 20, 28 and 32. There was no Jackpot winners.  There was no ‘Match 3’ winners so three names were drawn who received €50 each:

Nellie Ryan, 46 St. Patrick’s Place; Mary Murphy, 18 Fr. Tirry Park and Jack Fleming, Barrettstown, Fethard.

The €50 Luck Dip winners were:
Mary Newport, Congress Tce.;
Breda Ryan, Coolmoyne, Fethard and
Maura Gorey, Main Street, Fethard.

Next week’s Jackpot continues at €10,000 and the Jackpot sellers prize is €1000.

Harvest Festival

Mrs Claire Corballis and Mr & Mrs Tom Ronan pictured at the Harvest Thanksgiving in Fethard.


Mr Richard Major; Mrs Judy Butler and Very Rev. J Canon Power pictured at the Harvest Thanksgiving in Holy Trinity Church; Fethard.


L to R: Dick Lalor, Rev. Fr. Haughey O.S.A. and Anne Lalor pictured at the Harvest Thanksgiving held in Holy Trinity Church, Fethard on Sunday 7th October.


Photographed at the Harvest Thanksgiving held in Fehard on Sunday 7th October are L to R: Rev. Barbara Fryday, Very Rev. Fr. T. Breen P.P., Rev. Richard Greene and Rev. Fr. John Meagher O.S.A.

Fethard Bridge Club
On Wednesday 3rd October the results of Fethard Bridge Club Free Sub Gross were as follows:
1st Gross: Betty Walsh and Brigid Gorey and winners of Free Sub;
2nd Gross: Rita Kane and Kay St. John;
1st Nett: Madeline O’Donnell and Nora Lawerence;
2nd Nett: Anne and Seán O’Dea. 

On Wednesday, 24th October, we play for Hallowe’en prizes.  Anyone looking for a partner please contact Berney Myles at 32038.

St. Patrick’s Boys School Table Quiz
The annual Table Quiz in aid of St. Patrick's Boys School, Fethard, will be held in "The Well" on Tuesday 16th October at 9p.m.  All parents and their friends are welcome.  Gather your foursome and come along, or come solo and join a team anyone who happens to be down a man or woman, due to baby-sitting problems!! A table costs €24. Raffle prizes go leor. 

Sixty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary
Congratulations to Jimmy and Madge Hurley, Congress Terrace, who celebrated their Sixty-fifth Wedding Anniversary recently. 

Fethard Rugby Club

Fethard Rugby Club are holding their first Black Tie Ball in Hotel Minella on Saturday17th November.  Tickets, priced at €50, are available from any committee member.

Killusty Soccer Club Golf Classic
We are delighted to report that our golf classic which was held last Saturday was a resounding success.  We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day, and a Slievenamon golf course that was in excellent condition, and the scoring was fairly hot as well.

Results are as follows:
1st place: Michael O’Grady, Larry Heave and Edward Hayde, Dundrum G.C.
2nd: Tony, Pat and Willie McGarry, Slievenamon.
3rd: James Smyth, Jason Nevin and Mark Dillon, Slievenamon.
4th: Roy Cashin, Jimmy Byrne and Sean Laffan, Callan/ Rathdowney.
Nearest the pin: Patsy Cunningham and Anne Moloney.
Longest drive: Joe Corbett and Mary Kenrick.

The results of the Draw were as follows:
Framed Picture - Aidan Kenny.
T.V. - Pat Smyth.
Hair Straightner - Joe Corbett.

A sincere thank you to all who made this day possible - to our many sponsors who once again answered the call, to Slievenamon Golf Club for the use of their course. Well done to our hard working committee, who did trojan work in the last few weeks and, last but not least, our ticket sellers, Ciara and Katie.  Thank you one and all. 

Fethard GAA Club News
In the Senior Football County Quarter Final played on Sunday last, 7th October, the final result was Fethard 1-10; Cahir 3-3.  In this game we were in cruise-control, 1-9 to 1-1, when the wheels seemed to come off the tracks in the last ten minutes.  Having been reduced to fourteen players, nearly losing, and surviving by the narrowest of margins to reach the Semi Final of the County. The last time we reached this stage of the competition was 2005. We await our opponents.  On Sunday last we played a lovely brand of Fethard football in reaching our tally of 1-9 but we will certainly have to improve again on this performance if we are to make an impression at the final hurdle.  Team: Paul Fitzgerald, Damien Byrne, Michael Aherne, Ian Kenrick, Benny Hahessy, Cian Maher, Glen Burke, Eoin Doyle, Jamie McCormack 0-1, Willie Morrissey 0-1, John Paul Looby 0-2, Michael Dillon, Micéal Spillane, Brian Coen 1-5 (5f), Stephen O’Donnell 0-1. Subs: Christopher Sheehan and Kenneth O Donnell.

Minor B Hurling County Semi-Final, played on Sat 6th last, resulted in our exit from the competition.  The final result was Toomevara 2-10; Fethard 2-4.  With losing Eoin O’Connell through injury, a head wound needing seven stitches, we had a tough hill to climb in the second half trailing at the interval by 1-5 to 0-2.  We just seemed to never get out of the stalls in that first period but in the second half our young guns showed a totally different side with a first class display from J P McGrath in goal, James Kelly at full-back, Adi Lawrence at centre-back, Cathal Gorey in mid-field with Dean Tobin our scoring machine and Declan Doyle and Matthew Fitzgerald up front.  We just had too much of a mountain to climb but beidh lá eile le cunamh Dé ag na buachaillí óga.  Team: J P McGrath, Gavin Fitzgerald, James Kelly, Ciarán O’Connell, Thomas O’Connell, Eoin O’Connell, Adrian Lawrence, Dean Tobin 1-3 (1Play), Christopher Sheehan, Alan O’Connor, Cathal Gorey, Aaron Donovan, Matthew Fitzgerald 0-1, Declan Doyle 1-0, Jonathan Fleming.  Subs used: Jack O’Sullivan.  I would like to thank all our backroom personnel for their time; to the selectors and players well done in getting this team so far and for the enjoyment afforded over the year, keep up the good work. 

We are scheduled to play the County Semi of the Final Minor B Football this weekend.  Check sports page for details.  We wish our team the very best of luck.  We are also due to play Kilsheelan in the South Under 21 B Hurling and our Junior A play in the Football Quarter Final.  Fixture details are not available at time of going to print, check sports pages.

The Launch of The South Board History 1907 –2007 took place last Sunday, October 7th, in the GAA Centre, Clonmel. The Ard Stiurithoir (Director General) of the GAA, Liam Mulvihill, paid his first official visit to the South Board since his appointment in 1979.  He will step down from this position in 2007.  This newly launched publication is an excellent Book of History, Gaelic Culture and Club Records produced by Miceal O’Meara and his committee.  It has 800 pages, 250 Photos (past & present), 220 profiles of South players and mentors over 100 years and some excellent stories of times gone by.  An ideal present for any GAA enthusiast or for Christmas, the hardback version retails at €40 and is available in Fethard from Newport’s, Main Street, or from Noel Byrne (Book Committee Member).  There is something in it for everyone who has a love of Gaelic Culture and beyond.  It was great to see a fine turn out from our Club present on Sunday night and it was fitting that that the Director General of the GAA was welcomed to our Division by our own Micéal McCormack (South Board Chairman 2007).

St. Augustine’s Dinner Dance will take place on Friday 26th October in Hotel Minella.  Tickets, priced at €35, are available from any committee member, Gus Fitzgerald, Michael Keane (Knockelly) and Noel Byrne.  Music will be provided by Richie Halpin.  Those being honoured on the night include Joe Ahearne, Michael Keane, the 1982 South Senior Hurling Champions, Davy Fitzgerald, Fr. Abie Kennedy, James Downes, Davy Morrissey, Packie Harrington, Maurice Harrington, James McGrath, Stephen McCormack, Liam McCarthy and Noel Byrne.

Our Lotto Jackpot €7000 was not won. The numbers drawn were 4, 8, 14 and 23. There were 2 ‘match three’ winners who won €75 each, Nicky O’Shea, Tullow and Tony Maher, 56 Woodvale Walk. There was one €50 Lucky Dip winner, Martin Bolger, Drumdeel, Fethard).  We thank Fethard Electrical Wholesale for sponsoring the tickets.